Hideo Kojima showed off a 50-minute gameplay demo for the mysterious PlayStation exclusive, Death Stranding, which promises to introduce a new genre of games, at the Tokyo Game Show. The game is, beyond any doubt, strange but that’s to be expected from Kojima.
It does indeed look like nothing we’ve seen before. But after several trailers and demos, the game slowly becomes more clear. It follows Sam Porter, Norman Reedus, as he tries to set up communication in a country of disconnection. That hits on the central theme of Death Stranding: connection. There is also a way to make Norman Reedus pee if that tickles your fancy.
Along with the gameplay demo, Kojima also released a new trailer, which is more like a cutscene. It provides a clearer picture of the storyline behind Death Stranding.
Now, the actual Death Stranding gameplay demo provides tons of new information, but luckily PlayStation and Gameinfomer helped break it down.
First of all, a lot of preparation is required before missions. This involves picking the necessary equipment and accessories. An added component is trying to balance everything- literally. How you build up your backpack will change how you walk around the world. Depending on how the weight is distributed, Sam will have to adjust to that in gameplay. Death Stranding throws the video game trope of carrying ten guns in your jacket on its head – now inventory management is much more realistic. On top this, players have to deal with items breaking like Sam’s boots in the demo. If you get into a combat encounter, then it’s recommended to drop individual items in order to move more freely. The player just has to remember to pick everything up afterward. One thing is for sure; Sam is going to have major back problems.
Not to worry though, an “active skeleton” can be equipped, which lets Sam run faster and jump farther despite all the items he is carrying. Navigation, indeed, can take many forms from walking to riding a motorcycle, to even riding on a hoverboard. That same hoverboard is called a floating carrier and can also be used to carry some of your items.
On Sam’s travels in the Death Stranding world, he will find many NPCs that have missions or deliveries for him. So far the majority of these how given through holograms. While traversing and doing these missions, players may see evidence of other gamers. In the gameplay demo, we saw a ladder left behind by another player. This indicates a minor form of multiplayer for Death Stranding, which is fascinating news. Only time will tell how much further this implementation will go.
Gamers can finally produce mushrooms with their pee when Death Stranding releases on November 8.